New York has long been at the forefront of a movement to support businesses owned by women or minorities. Both at the state and local levels, government agencies and offices have taken steps to award more contracts to minority- and women-owned business enterprises, or MWBEs, as they’re widely known. This year, New York’s Article 15-A law, which created the state’s MWBE program, was extended through 2028. In New York City, the Adams administration has awarded billions of dollars in contracts to MWBE firms, with the goal of hitting a $60 billion target by 2030.
City & State’s Who’s Who in MWBEs, researched and written by City & State’s Amanda Salazar, highlights many of the most important figures in this space, including leaders of MWBE firms large and small, public officials who are developing and carrying out key MWBE programs, and an array of industry leaders, advisers and advocates who are leveling the playing field for MWBEs.
Tough Leaf is a technology platform dedicated to connecting certified subcontracting firms with opportunities, developers and general contractors. Founder and CEO Wissam Akra founded the company to help diverse small businesses grow and thrive. Certified minority, woman, disadvantaged, service-disabled and veteran-owned firms can create a free profile on Tough Leaf’s website, joining a network of over 300,000 vendors available to construction companies. Through the platform, Akra, a professional engineer, has awarded more than $1 billion in contracts to small and diverse firms…